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Lynx Legend Maya Moore Makes Heartfelt Hall of Fame Speech

Minnesota Lynx legend Maya Moore made a heartfelt and emotional speech upon her induction to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday

Will Despart

Oct 11, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore (23) celebrates her basket in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks in game two of the WNBA Finals at Target Center. The Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 79-60. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Oct 11, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore (23) celebrates her basket in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks in game two of the WNBA Finals at Target Center. The Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 79-60. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Minnesota Lynx legend Maya Moore, considered by many to be the greatest WNBA player in history, officially joined the most exclusive club in the game of basketball as she was inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on Saturday.

Moore delivered a profound, heartfelt speech upon her induction, reflecting on her career from her days at UConn through her iconic WNBA career with the Lynx. Moore led the Lynx to four WNBA titles, tied for the most of any franchise, doing so in just eight WNBA seasons. Moore also won the league MVP in 2014, the Rookie of the Year Award in 2011 and won two Olympic Golds in 2012 and 2016.

During her collegiate career at UConn, Moore was a two-time national champion and two-time consensus National Player of the Year. Perhaps the most notable team achievement of Moore's career at UConn was the program's 90-game winning streak from 2008 to 2011, which at the time was the longest winning streak in the history of men's or women's college basketball.

An Emotional Moment

Moore was introduced by a group of five people that included former Lynx teammates Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus, as well as former UConn coach Geno Auriemma. The championship culture Moore helped establish at each stage of her life was the common theme of her speech, as Moore got to give thanks to Auriemma and her former Minnesota teammates during her moment.

"I'm very honored to be standing up here with these Hall of Fame presenters," Moore said. "You guys are my friends, my role models, my coaches, my teammates. You all inspired me. You challenged me. You make me better every day as a player, as a person.

"My biggest desire when I played was to help my team in any way that they needed. I think they felt that for me. But one of the most profound aspects of team sports, I think, is seeing a group of individuals start to trust each other over time and truly play for each other."

Moore's off-the-court social justice initiatives have become as crucial to her own life as her playing career was, and the Hall of Famer touched on how her championship drive as a player has allowed her to build a championship culture in her communities off the court.

"I'm so grateful how I've been able to take my championship experiences to an even more precious context, which is our collective communities," Moore said. "Championship culture can be found not just in sports, but in all aspects of life,(6:50)in our homes, our schools, our neighborhoods.

"Those are the true measures of how our winning legacy exists. But building championship culture takes time. After 20 years of competing for championships,(7:08)I learned that so much of the work needed to (that) culture is actually hidden.

For my teams, that hidden work looked like hours on the court together, workouts with position coaches, learning how to take care of our bodies, sharing meals together, and having tough conversations about how we're going to win this thing. And likewise, much of the work in building championship communities is unseen."

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Will Despart
WILL DESPART

Will Despart is a Las Vegas-based sportswriter who covers the NBA for OnSI. He also writes for Ballislife and handles multiple beats for The Sporting Tribune, including the Las Vegas Aces and Las Vegas Raiders. His reporting has been featured in newspapers across the country through the Field Level Media news wire.

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